New Brussels-Amsterdam-Berlin night train to launch on May 25
The European Sleeper night train route connecting Brussels and Berlin, with stops in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, will officially launch its passenger service on May 25. First announced at the end of 2021, the service was delayed by about a year.
It was originally planned to be a longer route that includes Dresden and Prague. European Sleeper said it anticipates extending their service to those destinations by the end of 2023 or early 2024, the company said on its website. From the start, the train is also expected to stop in Amersfoort and Deventer in the Netherlands, and in Antwerp, Belgium and Hanover, Germany.
Ticket sales will get underway on February 20 via the company's website. The Dutch-Belgian startup rail operator has advertised starting prices of 49 euros per seat, and 79 euros for a couchette, with breakfast included.
The night trains between Brussels and Berlin will run three times per week at the start, the company said. The company hopes to make it a daily service.
The service was delayed mainly because of the difficulties in securing train carriages, and the process of finalizing its timetable. The company said last month that it had hoped to obtain carriages in Russia, but the outbreak of the war in Ukraine made that impossible.
Additionally, an extended period of track works is planned for the train line connecting Berlin and Prague. This has put limitations on European Sleeper's ability to run trains on that route due to capacity issues.